Crash (The Immortal Chronicles Book 2)

by Sloane Murphy

  After telling me the truth about who I really am, what I really am, he dismissed us all from his office while he sat and talked to Ruby. That’s how I find myself sat back in the main room at the front of the house, curled into myself on one of the many chairs scattered across the room. The sound of chatter raises significantly and I look up to see the room full of Demons. None that I know, but they are all worked up about something. Whatever it is, I’m going to sit and watch from back here. I’m not a fan of Demons. Even though Micah and Cole convinced Addie she was part demon, I know better. I know I’m part Fallen, part Fae.

  Logan sits down beside me, blocking me from view. “I see you also decided to avoid the crazy,” he says, turning to me.

  “I’m not really sure what’s going on,” I reply.

  “Well, you won’t have to wait long to find out,” he says leaning back in his chair.

  Olivia appears in the doorway and yells across the room, “Alright, you idiots. Calm your shit!” She walks to the main door and opens it to reveal three Fallen. I recognize them from Addie’s memories. They are her… friends? How is that possible after they took her? I wonder if I will ever understand emotion fully.

  “Kaden, I’d love to say it’s nice to see you again, but well, I try to avoid being pleasant to dickheads,” she says with a sarcastic smile on her face. The redhead next to him, Celeste, steps forward growling. Kaden puts an arm out to keep her back.

  “Now then ladies, play nice. We’re here to see the boss,” Kaden says before adding a charming grin. “Unless you want to party first, Liv? Vampyr looks good on you.” He winks at her and then laughs at her retort which I miss. The male with bright blue hair, Michael, coughs, using his hand to hide his laughter.

  “Ugh, fine,” Oliva says, scowling. “Follow me. On your heads be it. You didn’t exactly leave here on the best terms last time, or did you forget that little tantrum, Kaden?” She becomes more and more flustered the longer they stand there. She turns and waves them into the room. I study Kaden as he strolls in as if he owns the place. He certainly seems to believe his own self-worth. I wonder why Cole wishes him dead; his cockiness is certainly enough to have got on the wrong side of people. He scans the room and while he seems casual, his eyes are calculating. They settle on me, and I see his shock upon seeing me. He recovers himself quickly. His eyes stick on me, and I can’t read what I see there.

  Kaden? Kaden! Don’t leave me here please.

  No don’t go! Why are you even here?

  Kaden!!

  I hear Addie’s plea’s in my head; I can almost feel her desperation and disappointment when the three walk on by and follow Olivia down the hall. I have the uneasy feeling Cole’s plan is about to be thwarted. Addie continues to yell inside my head. She becomes so loud; I can’t take it. I place my hands on either side of my head and tuck my head in between my knees, trying to shut it out.

  “Aeveen are you okay?” Logan asks.

  He seems so far away. The incessant noise in my head pushes and pushes me until I can bear it no longer. My scream fills the room. When I lift my head, it is to see Demons sprawled across the floor. Some are bleeding from their eyes, ears, and noses. Logan appears to have passed out and blood trickles from his nose, too. I just wanted Addie to stop. I can’t hear her anymore. As I look around the room, I see all the glass from the windows have shattered and is now scattered across the room.

  What did I do?

  KADEN

  It takes every piece of resolve not to turn and run to Addie when I hear her scream. She doesn’t look like Addie anymore. Those eyes… they change her entire face. They’re so cold and unfeeling. She’s still in there, though, I know it. It felt almost impossible not to pick her up and fly her out of here, but I’m here for a reason and I can’t forget it. I reach out and stop Liv with a hand on her arm, my face questioning the scream. I don’t know what they’ve done to her. She might not even know me now, and that hurts more than it should. I push all of it down before facing off with Liv.

  “It’s none of your business, Kaden. Keep moving,” she says turning and continuing our journey towards Cole’s office.

  I haven’t really thought about how bad this could all go if Cole hits first and asks questions later. I mean, no, he can’t kill me, but there are worse things than death. I take a deep breath before nodding back to Michael and Celeste, then continue following Liv. They’re here in case shit goes wrong, and to help scout out the compound. I’m really hoping things don’t go south. I don’t want to be a screw up again, and I don’t want Addie hurt in the crossfire.

  I put a cocky smile on my face and walk into Cole’s office. Walking straight to the decanter on his desk, I pour myself a drink before sitting down in front of him. A lot of this game is about showing strength, even if you don’t feel particularly strong. Michael and Celeste stand by the back wall near the door.

  “Nice to see you again, Kaden,” Cole says with a sneer. He doesn’t seem surprised to see me.

  “Ah, come on, man, don’t be like that. Let bygones be bygones. Water under the bridge and all that crap. Holding a grudge doesn’t become you, mate,” I say, taking a swig of the scotch. One thing never changes, the man appreciates a good drink, even if he is a snake.

  “What are you doing here, Kaden? You bought your little lackey’s too, so I’m sure whatever it is, it’s good.”

  “Oh come on, now. Don’t be like that. What’s a little disagreement between friends?”

  “Get to the point, Kaden.” he says. I can see his patience is wearing thin. Well, this is going splendidly.

  “Fine. My point is, I was wrong, and I want back on the winning team,” I say, sitting forward with my elbows on my knees, trying to look earnest. “I tried to be the good guy, turns out it doesn’t suit me. The old saying is true; good guys never win – plus, my brother is driving me insane with his holier than thou bullshit. I guess I’d forgotten what a prick he can be. Point being, I want back in.”

  Cole is silent while he examines me. He’s trying to decide if I’m being genuine. I try and contain my growing impatience. Now is not the time for irrational actions. Cole leans back and crosses his arms, a scowl still painted on his face. After a moment of deep deliberation, he stands and barks out a laugh.

  “You never were fit for the good-guy-bullshit. You belong here – in the darkness, with me, my friend. We were reborn in shadows. It’s home.” He walks around his desk and embraces me. “Welcome home. Now tell me about your brother and his plans for his beloved.”

  I smile and knock back the rest of my drink. “Ah, well there’s plenty to tell you about that, but more importantly, I can tell you what his plans are for you.”

  “Oh really?” he asks, as he sits back against his desk and folds his arms. “And what if I already know them?”

  “Well then, lucky you, but I’d ask you how much you can trust your source,” I retort. I hadn’t even thought of that. He nods towards Liv who leaves the room, sneering at Celeste as she does. We wait mere seconds before she returns, and throws someone to the floor. My shock is evident and I bark out a laugh.

  “Well, shit. If you’re dealing with dogs, I know you’re desperate. Jackson, you idiot! This guy hates wolves!”

  “To Kas,” I say raising my glass, “the guy with the absolute worst luck in Beta’s.”

  If Jackson’s here, then Cole already knows exactly what’s been going on at the reservation. I hadn’t planned for this – luckily, I’m good on my feet.

  “So,” I turn back towards Cole. “You already know the majority of what’s going down with my brother. Let me just make sure our good friend, Jackson here, hasn’t missed anything out.

  Jackson eyes me with confusion, which is a good sign. “We arrived at the reservation a few days ago after discovering you were here. Kas has been assisting us. Kas, Xander and I were here a few days ago scouting out your compound – oh yeah, buddy, you’ve got security issues - Anyhow, after that we decided to send a scout for further info
rmation, and they picked me. Nothing like being a good turncoat, hey?”

  I finish before draining my glass, then throwing it in the air before slamming it down on the desk. Cole laughs and I feel some of the tension in the room dissipate.

  “Kaden, man, you really are something! Jackson, get up off the god damn floor,” Cole commands before walking towards Jackson and clasping his shoulder. “At least we know you didn’t lie to me.” Then, before I even have chance to stop it, I hear the sickening crunch of breaking bones and Jackson falls to the floor, his neck at a sickening angle.

  “Who needs traitors in their mix. Filthy animals! He was useful for a while at least.” Cole says, dusting himself off before sitting down and pouring us both another drink.

  “Olivia, show Michael and Celeste to the guest rooms – and play nice,” Cole orders.

  Michael and Celeste look at me and I nod, confirming the move.

  “And make sure they’re fed,” Cole adds. “There’s nothing worse than hungry Fallen. You’d know wouldn’t you.” He leers at her with a wink. I see her flinch, but she masks it with a smile and does as she’s bid. I wonder what the story is there.

  “Welcome back my friend,” Cole says raising his glass. “Let the games begin.”

  DIMITRI

  “They’ve been gone too long!” Xander says with exasperation. “We shouldn’t wait any longer, we need to go in! For all we know, they’re all bloody locked up now.”

  He paces back and forth in front of me and I guard the door to stop him doing something stupid like flying out of here.

  “Xander, you need to cool your shit. You’re no good to anyone when you get like this. Even if that is the case, we said we’d give them a week. It’s been three days; they still have another four days before we need to panic. Kas is already losing it about the fact Jackson is MIA. One of you has to act like a god damn leader before everything falls apart. Now pick up your skirt, grab your balls and man the hell up,” I yell at him.

  I’m sick of this. I want my friend back, the calm and logical one who always kept himself in check and put the mission first. I know this is different because its Addie, but jeez, I’m tired of it. Don’t get me wrong, if it were Dani, I probably wouldn’t exactly be Iceman, but I wouldn’t be flipping the hell out like Maverick either. Man, you know things are going bad when I start quoting Top Gun. I’m looking forward to things settling down, maybe I’ll get Dani and her boys to watch it with me. I realise I’ve gone off on a tangent and refocus on Xander.

  He looks at me and the wildness in his eyes settles a little. I think I might finally have been able to reach him. We’ve fought together, bled together, and leaned on each other for longer than I care to think about, but this is the first time I’ve seen him like this.

  I know he lost it a little after his sister died, but from what I heard, he threw himself into his work and became the best house leader and warrior most of us have ever known. That’s who he was when I met him, so seeing him like this is so out of character. I’ve never thought it before, but right now I wish Kaden were here. He might be a prick ninety percent of the time, but him and Xander are like two pieces of the same person. If I didn’t know different, I’d think they were the twins.

  “You’re right,” he says. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know how to deal with everything I’m feeling. There’s just so much.”

  “I get it, I do. But find an outlet. Go spar with Kas. Hell, you could both use it, but please – do something other than this.”

  “Thank you, as always, Dimitri, for knowing how to reach me,” he says, before walking around me and out of the door.

  I rest my arms on the chair in front of me and let my head hang, taking several deep breaths and trying to centre myself. There’s a rap at the door and it opens. It’s Dani. She comes behind me, wrapping her warm arms around my waist, kissing me on my back.

  “Hey there, handsome. Want some company?” she asks. Her voice is petal soft. It washes over me and soothes my rough edges.

  “If it’s you, sweetheart, then always,” I reply with a light in my voice that hasn’t been there before. I turn in her arms and bring her close to my chest, enveloping her. There’s something about her that centres me. She smells like spring, like fresh air, and honey and… just Dani. I kiss the top of my head and squeeze her. If I could stay like this forever, I’d take that option in a heartbeat.

  “Are you really okay, Tri? It sounded more than a little tense in here.” She looks up at me and I lose myself in her deep green eyes for a moment, their depths seem endless.

  “I am now you’re here. Let’s do something,” I say.

  “Yeah? Like what?” Her eyes brighten at the suggestion. Things have been so heavy here the since Kaden left and we’ve not been able to spend much time together – and while I’ve only known her a few weeks, it feels like eternity. She’s the missing part of my heart.

  “What about taking the boys on a picnic by the falls?”

  “Do you think we could? With everything going on, I mean. I feel selfish being so happy when there’s so much sadness right now.”

  I pull her back towards me and place a finger under her chin, tilting it up toward me.

  “Never feel bad about being happy, Dani. Few things in this world will bring you joy, savor the good things. Big or small. They’re all important. Now come on, let’s get those rugrats and head to the falls.”

  KADEN

  “So you tortured her?” I laugh.

  “It was needed. You met Adelaide, she was so bloody stubborn, she never would have sided with me against her precious Xander. So I was… let’s say I was inventive in ways to get the desired results.”

  “Well, it seems to have worked. I have to commend you my friend. If I hadn’t seen it for myself I never would have believed you’d broken her. Addie seemed so head strong.”

  “It’s amazing what pain will do to a person,” he says with a smug smile on his face. I can see Michael behind him struggling to keep his anger in check. These past few days have been a giant test of will for us all. Playing along with his sick game, watching the Demons under his command fight each other for his attention, seeing him play with Addie - because she is still Addie, I refuse to believe any different. Seeing her in action was breath-taking. Watching as she disposed of a group of five Demons that came at her at once, without even breaking a sweat. She really is the Reborn, and she’s far more than any of us expected. She’s not spoken to me unless I’ve directly asked her a question. I don’t know how deep down Addie is buried, but I have no doubt she’s fighting to claw her way to the surface. She wouldn’t go down without a war.

  “Oh, don’t I know it? Torture can be so sweet,” I say, almost sick on my own words.

  “It can, though I didn’t claim the pleasure myself. I let Micah play with her.”

  “You let that sick fuck at her? Man, that’s just evil,” I say.

  He laughs at me, thinking I’m sharing in the joke, but all I’m really doing is thinking how I’m going to tear the bastard, Micah, apart.

  “The means were worth the gains,” Cole says. “She might be my daughter biologically, but right now she’s just a tool.”

  I clench my fists under the table out of sight. The thought of pummelling his face right now is so satisfying but I quench the temptation and ask as casually as I can, “What is your master plan anyway? You know I’m here to help however I can. That being said, I do have some business I need to tidy up before I can do much of anything. Playing the good guy left the club in tatters. I need to go back and sort that, apparently there was a death at the mansion I need to clean up.”

  “Go take care of your business, brother. Come back when you can and we’ll get down to the nitty gritty of it all.”

  I nod and stand. The relief floods through me, and I’m sure it’s all over my face, but I can’t hide much more. I gather my jacket and head back to my guest room to pick up the stray bits I’ve got lying around, and instruct Michael and Celeste
to do the same. As I’m walking down the hall, I notice Logan hovering by my door.

  “I’ll meet you guys in ten minutes,” I say to Michael and Celeste.

  They nod and head off down the hall.

  “Logan, what can I do for you?” I ask, surprised he’s here. He’s avoided me for my entire stay. He’s pissed at me and I don’t blame him for that. Were our roles reversed, I’d be pissed, too.

  “We need to talk – in private,” he says quietly. I open my door and wave him in. Following him, I shut and lock the door, before putting on some music on the CD player. You never know who’s listening.

  “What’s up?” I ask.

  “I need to know the truth. If you’re really here for Cole, or if you’re here for Addie?” He asks.

  I don’t miss the note of desperation in his voice as he says Addie’s name. “And if I’m here for Cole?” I ask.

  “Then I leave this room right now, and go somewhere very far away.”

  “You think you can escape Cole?”

  “You did once. And anything is better than watching him destroy the people I love,” he says with conviction.

  “Well, I don’t think you need to go to such drastic measures just yet. What do you want from me?”

  “I need you to get Addie out of here. Liv too, if possible, but I think she might already be too far gone. But Addie is still there, I see it in Aeveen’s eyes sometimes. They gloss over when she can hear Addie in her head. Addie did the same… before. I tried to help her then, but it wasn’t enough. She’s still in there, Kaden. I just know it.”